Pfannberger confirms and denies doping charge

Christian Pfannberger confirmed that he was told he had given a positive doping control, but denied that he had taken any forbidden substances. The Austrian national champion was suspended by Team Katusha Wednesday after the team was informed of the positive test.

In a statement released Wednesday evening, Pfannberger said that the UCI notified him that afternoon of the positive test, which was taken in a training control on March 19. He said that the substance was not named.

"Since I definitely did not take anything forbidden I will use every legal method I can to prove this," he said.

The news of Pfannberger's doping violation came as a surprise to Serge Parsani, a Team Katusha directeur sportif for the Giro d'Italia.

"I have not heard anything from him," Parsani told Cyclingnews. "He had not said anything to us [about the matter]. The UCI news was the first I had heard. Certainly it is not something positive [to start the Giro this way], but unfortunately we have no control over it.

"We will continue to do the Giro without Pfannberger. He will have to resolve this problem himself."